Fess Up by Soft Touch
27 photos; 4:06 video
Jenks the carpenter looked at Morgan the interior decorator and Morgan was looking back at him. Neither one of the contractors actually knew one another, and neither one of them knew what they were doing back in the Campbell house.
The last thing Jenks remembered was coming out of the Dripping Pearl after happy hour and heading for his car to go home. Then there had been some bright stars, a burst of intense pain, and then blackness. And now he was here.
Tight ropes bit into Jenks’ arms and wrists and made his strong muscles helpless while his lips were being XXXX together by layers of duct tape that were hugging his cheeks so tight that it hurt. What was going on here?
Jenks looked over at Morgan and saw that the interior decorator had been bound up and gagged in the same way. Morgan made some noises behind the tape layers that were covering his mouth, but Jenks couldn't understand a word that Morgan was saying.
Then Mister Campbell walked into the room. “I hope that you two are enjoying your captivity. I've been fairly gentle with you up to now, but make no mistake.”
Was this guy some kind of nut?
Jenks looked over at Morgan and saw that the interior decorator’s eyes were just and big and scared as Jenks imagined his were so neither one of the contractors dared to move a muscle while they watched a smiling Mister Campbell coming at them with more pieces of rope.
“I know what you're thinking,” Mister Campbell began as he started wrapping and tying lengths of rope tightly around Morgan and Jenks’ ankles to be sure that they wouldn't run away. “I'm certain that I owe one of you gentleman an apology, but my problem is that I don't know which one.”
Morgan looked at Jenks. What was this guy talking about?
Jenks shrugged his shoulders. He had no idea.
“That’s all right,” Mister Campbell reassured them. “I expect you to pretend to be quite innocent, but sooner or later I will find out the truth.”
Mister Campbell finished tying the last knot and then stood up to admire his handiwork. “You see I had three people in my house this week. Mister Morgan was his usual inspired self while he advised me on my interior decorating project. And you Mister Jenks did a very professional job on the woodwork in my den. That just leaves Mister Thomas who was such a wizard with the electronics in my home theater. Three visitors, three people with opportunity, and one thief!”
Both Morgan and Jenks made all kinds of protesting noises behind their taped-over lips. They weren't thieves!
But Mister Campbell just laughed. “I know, you are both quite innocent, and when Mister Thomas gets here, he will be innocent, too. But one of you stole a very valuable diamond bracelet that I purchased as a gift, and before this night is done I will find out which one.”
Mister Campbell made a final check of his knots and then smiled quite pleasantly.
“Now I'm off to collect Mister Thomas. Do make yourselves comfortable until I return.”
Mister Campbell started for the door and then stopped. “Tell me, do either of you have a big phobia about power tools?”
And then Mister Campbell laughed and laughed like a maniac while he went out and shut the door.
Mister Morgan was the first one to panic. He threw himself off of the couch and down onto the floor. Then he looked back at Mister Jenks and mouthed something behind his taped mouth that sounded like “Well come on fool, don't just sit there!”
Mister Jenks had no intention of staying here. He had a really big phobia about maniacs and power tools! So he threw himself off of the couch to land on the floor near Mister Morgan.
Then Mister Morgan and Mister Jenks both started crawling their bound bodies across the carpeted floor, but that didn't get them anywhere fast. They had to get free of these ropes! So they both grunted and strained, but they only succeeded in making those ropes even tighter.
Neither one of them were going to get out of here like that. They had to help one another. So then the two strangers moved their bound bodies close together and began reaching their fingers for each other’s ropes. But these two men didn't even know each other and this was a problem that required real teamwork.
Still they tried all different ways of trying to get loose, and a couple of times it felt like maybe they were finally succeeded, but then –
Suddenly the door opened and Mister Morgan and Mister Jenks with both shocked to see poor unconscious Mister Thomas being tossed onto the floor next to them. And then they craned their necks and looked up to see a smiling Mister Campbell looking down at them.
“Oh, I see that you two have been having fun. It won't do you any good, you know? I've made myself quite the expert at tying knots.”
Mister Jenks and Mister Morgan sighed into their gags. Yea, he was an expert, they had to admit.
“Now the two of you just lie right there,” Mister Campbell sounded like he was getting ready for a birthday party.
“I'll have Mister Thomas properly secured in two quick shakes of a lamb’s tail”
Mister Jenks looked over at Mister Morgan and saw a tear running down the interior decorator’s cheek. Mister Jenks knew just how he felt. Mister Jenks felt like crying, too.
THE END
Date of Production: 02/07/2006